In addition to calling for an extra $100 million in incentives over the next five years, the Western Sydney Leadership Dialogue and Business Western Sydney also want to see WSI reclassified as a ‘secondary airport’ to secure more airline commitment.
Shifting WSI from the designation of ‘major airport’ would allow airlines to avoid sharing quota capacity limits with Sydney Airport, freeing up seats to dedicate to the city’s upcoming airport in the western suburbs.
“It’s important we don’t tie WSI’s hands, so it can operate freely and with minimal red tape,” Business Western Sydney Executive Director David Borger told The Daily Telegraph.
“London, New York and Tokyo run multiple airports successfully – so can Sydney,” he added.
Just Singapore Airlines and Air New Zealand have so far signed up to fly from WSI when it opens in late 2026, with the NSW Govt’s $8 million in incentives for carriers labelled “insufficient” by aerotropolis expert John Kasarda.
“The engine of the new aerotropolis is not the airport but the flight network…without those flights the whole aerotropolis will flop,” he warned.
